How a real table runs, from choosing seats to settling up. Check your table's house rules too.
1Seating order
Many tables pick seats by having each player draw one of the four Wind tiles face down. Whoever draws East sits at East.House Rule
Going around the table to the right (counter-clockwise), the seats are East, South, West, North.Official Rule
After each hand, the East position usually moves one seat to the right, so everyone takes a turn as East.Official Rule
E
“Sit down, draw a wind, and take your seat without fuss. Where you sit matters less than being ready to play.”
Ruth · Table captainEtiquette
2Who starts
East rolls the dice to decide where the wall is broken, then the deal begins.Official Rule
East starts with 14 tiles and everyone else starts with 13.Official Rule
After the Charleston, East opens play by discarding one tile. Turns then pass to the right.Official Rule
Name each discard out loud as you place it face up in the middle, so everyone hears it.Etiquette
N
“East goes first, every hand. Let East finish discarding before anyone reaches for anything.”
Lin · Table leadEtiquette
3Calling a discard
You may call a discard to finish an exposure or to declare Mah Jongg. Say "Call" (or "Mah Jongg") before the next player racks a drawn tile or discards.Official Rule
If one player calls for Mah Jongg and another calls for an exposure, Mah Jongg wins the tile.Official Rule
If two players call the same tile for the same reason, the player whose turn comes next after the discarder gets it.Official Rule
Once you've called a tile and started exposing tiles from your rack, you're committed: finish the exposure, then discard. (Until you discard, you may still adjust which tiles are shown in that exposure.)Official Rule
W
“Speak up clearly and right away. A late, quiet call is how disagreements start.”
Mae · Friendly neighborEtiquette
4Calling Mah Jongg
Call "Mah Jongg" and lay all 14 tiles face up so the other players can check them against the card.Official Rule
Everyone should leave their own tiles where they are until the winning hand is confirmed.Etiquette
If a Mah Jongg call turns out to be wrong after the hand is exposed, that hand is dead: the player stops drawing and discarding and pays the winner, and the others keep playing. Caught before exposing, there's no penalty. If other players threw in their hands, the NMJL rules set extra payments.House Rule
👁
“Say it, show it, and let the table check it before anyone touches the tiles.”
Dorothy · The veteranEtiquette
5Settling up
The winner announces the value printed on the card for the hand they made.Card-Year Specific
If the winning tile was a discard, the player who threw it gives up double points and the other two give up single. If the winner drew it from the wall, all three give up double.Official Rule
Agree on how you'll keep score before the first hand. Playing just for fun is perfectly fine.House Rule
Congratulate the winner, then everyone helps turn the tiles over and mix for the next hand.Etiquette
E
“Tally quickly, smile kindly, and shuffle for the next hand. The game is the point, not the score.”
